The inhabitants of this area are mainly farmers who produce wine, oil and almonds. Today it is also a flourishing commercial centre.  Taking the trunk road s.s100 we come to Casamassima, a large, busy town which stands at an altitude of 233 metres and  offers a splendid panoramic view down to the Adriatic. A short distance away lies Acquaviva, which boasts a marvellous Renaissance cathedral. Following the s.s100 again we arrive at Sammichele, notorious for its gastronomic specialities such as "zampina", which are small pork sausages, and its characteristic rural architecture.  Following the road straight on we come to Gioia del Colle, an important industrial and agricultural town, particularly renowned for its production of scamorza (a kind of cheese) and mozzarella cheese. There is a famous castle here which was built by Frederick II on a Norman site and characterised by high, black , ashlar turrets. From here we travel on to Altamura, an important town in antiquity but which nearly completely disappeared in Medieval times. It was then rebuilt by Frederick II. There is a magnificent Norman Cathedral in Altamura, one of  the four Palatine Basilicas in Apulia. Of all the local gastronomic specialities we might mention "Musquittili", gnocchi made with wheat flour and cooked in mulled wine, and "nocino", a digestive walnut liquor made from a secret recipe. 12 kms away, sitting on the edge of a deep gorge, lies the town of Gravina,  a city rich in monuments: the cave church of St. Michael, the Renaissance cathedral (1497), the Romanesque cloister of San Sebastian, the little church of St. Sofia which houses the tomb of Angela Castriota Orsini , a marvellous example of renaissance sculpture in Apulia. From Altamura we head to Cassano delle Murge, a holiday resort which offers a wonderful view of the Murge (341m) . On one of the hills you can see the former convent of S. Maria degli Angeli, now a  boarding school run by the Augustinian Brothers. The Mercadente forest is also of considerable importance and the area  is well equipped with facilities to welcome tourists.